"Our old postage stamps were really neat and pleasing in appearance. They were National and American, as they ought to have been. The head of Washington was venerable, and our three cent stamps were as perfect as they well could be. So also the one cent stamp with the head of Franklin was equally appropriate. There was a fitness of congruity in putting the head of the old, thrifty economist, on the one cent stamp. Our youth were reminded of the wise saws and sayings of "Poor Richard" and it taught them that if they learned to save the cents, the dollars were more likely to take care of themselves. But now think of the miserable, confused looking thing, with its wretched printing, that the Post Office has given us for the present three cent stamp. It is neither historical, national, beautiful, nor anything but a paltry evidence of the fact, that some engraver has got paid or will get paid for a job that ought never to have been done. Can our authorities not let well enough alone?
Canada, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, all have railroad engines such as ours. What is there in a big chimney on a railroad carriage to indicate the nationality of our postal system. Aye, but there are words, "United States Postage" on the stamp. Just so. We remember to have seen a boy's drawing on a sheet of paper, the words "this is a church" underneath, and certainly the artistic performance needed the index, but not more so than the new stamp requires a similar proclamation to tell the world what it means. And then again look at the printing of the word "Postage." Can our engravers do nothing better than that? We hope that the contractors have been paid for their work. If so, then let the post office folks give us back again our old head of Washington, and save us from looking at the contemptible thing that we are now getting in its stead."
Another paper says:
"The present miserable experiments in blue, with a meaningless legend, are to be recalled and something new in red is to be substituted. The old heads of Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, Franklin and Lincoln are to be restored. It is about time that some definite form and design of postage stamp should be adopted, so that people may know to a certainty what mucilaged square of paper will carry a letter to its designation, and what not."
The New York Herald says:
"The old style of three cent postage stamps had thereon a face of Washington, out of compliment to a good man. It now has a railway scene to represent how Congressmen make money. The two cent stamp represents a man on horseback. This represents Booth's death ride into Maryland. The one cent stamp should represent a cow with the favorite son of the Covington postmaster fast to her tail. This out of compliment to Grant."
An Eastern paper says:
"The Government introduced the present nondescript things called postage stamps, for the purpose of frightening counterfeiters."
And later the Herald says:
"Another attempt is to be made to give us decent postage stamps. We suppose it will fail, as so many have hitherto. Our postal authorities try too much. If they will only take the Italian or French stamp, and put Washington's head in place of Victor Emanuel's, or Napoleon's, they cannot fail; but they will try some improvements and spoil all."